Refrigerating system



July 9, 1935. v. G. APPLE REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 19, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENIOR July 9, 1935. v; G. APPLE. 2,007,701

REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 19, 1951 :s Sheets-Sheet 2 I a, J z8 i z z 57 f x 33- %/z 11v VENTOR July 9, 1935. v. G. APPLE REFRIGERATING' SYSTEM Filed Feb. 19, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet s Patented July 9, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Application February 19, 1931, Serial No. 518,967

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerating systems, particularly those of which a motor driven compressor is a. part and consists in the rearrangement of the several elements of 5 such systems, together with improvements in the elements themselves.

An object of the invention is to place the motor driven compressor of the system within the refrigerated space, to the end that the noise due to its operation will be less in evidence, and to the further end that the operative mechanism, although tightly enclosed, may be operated at maximum output without becoming overheated.

Another object is to combine the expansion unit and the motor driven compressor unit in a single structure which may be installed or removed from the refrigerated space with a minimum of effort.

That these andother objects and meritorious features are attained in the embodiment shown and described will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the refrigerator with the doors removed.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken at 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken at 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views.

The cabinet I is divided vertically by the partition wall I l into two compartments, a refrigerating compartment 12 and a storage compartment l3. The storage compartment 13 has shelves 14, one end of each shelf being supported on the.side wall I and the other end on the partition wall Openings H5 at the top and bottom of the partition wall II permit free circulation of the air between the two compartments.

The self contained refrigerating unit broadly designated by the numeral I1 occupies compartment I2 extending the full height thereof. The framework of unit I1 is built upon a base l8 having a top l9 with upturned outer edges as at 2| and legs 22 spaced apart to admit a removable drain pan 23. The top H! slopes downwardly toward the middle where an opening 24 through a boss 26 permits drainage of the top 19 into the drain pan 23.

Columns 21 are secured to, and extend upwardly from the corners of the base 18, and shelves 28 in the form of shallow pans turned top side downward are supported in spaced apart relation on said columns. Each shelf 28 has a serpentine coil 29 of tubing passing back and forth against its under side, concealed by the downwardly extending outer rim of the shelf. The several coils 29 are connected in continuous 5 circuit at the rear end of the coils by vertical tubes 3|, 32 and 33. The coils of the several shelves, so connected, comprise the evaporator.

The first tube 34 of the upper coil 29 is extended toward the rear and through the backof the cabinet for connection to the lower end of the condenser coil 36. At the front end of this first tube 34 a valve 40 is interposed in the upper coil 29 to restrict the flow of refrigerant to separate the circuit into a high pressure or condenser side, and a low pressure or evaporator side.

The motor compressor unit 31 is secured to the top of the base 18 and under the lower shelf 28. The lower coil 29 is extended at 38 and connected to the suction opening 39 of the compressor unit. A tube 4| extends from the discharge opening 42 of the compressor unit 31 through the back of the cabinet for connection to the vertical tube 43 which proceeds to the upper coil of the con denser 36. Unions 44 and 46 are provided to disconnect the refrigerating unit l1 from the condenser 36 when either unit is to be removed.

In order that the motor compressor unit 31 may not transmit vibration to the cabinet I0, the refrigerating unit I1 is mounted in the cabinet in a novel manner, having contact therewith only at the top and bottom. The top member 41 of the unit H has a facing 48 of some suitable resilient material. Bars 49 of the resilient material, extending from the front to the back of the cabinet, are held in grooves 5| in the lower sides of legs 22, and screws 52 bear downwardly on metal strips 53 to force the bars 49 against the bottom of the cabinet l0 resulting in the unit l1 being raised and held tightly against the top of the cabinet also. The material forming the facing 48 and the bars 49 is preferably also a non-conductor of heat, in order that heat transfer will be retarded between the refrigerating unit and the walls of the cabinet. 'A two conductor armored cable 54 conveys the electric current from the switch box 56 beneath the cabinet ID to the motor compressor unit 31. When it becomes desirable to remove the refrigerating unit 11 from the cabinet in it is only necessary to loosen the cable 54 at the switch box 56, disconnect the two unions 44 and 46, loosen the screws '52, and the entire unit I1 may be drawn forward from the cabinet.

The condenser coil 36 is in the upper portion of a compartment 51 at the back of the cabinet l0 and comprises a continuous tube extending from the union 46 upwardly to the top of the compartment then downwardly through the turns of the flattened coil 36 to the union 44. A thin re movable wall 58 closes the back of the condenser compartment 51 leaving the top and bottom open for free circulation of air.

The motor compressor unit 31 is preferably of as compact a construction as possible in order that a minimum of the refrigerating space will be cccupied, and to that end the structure shown comprises an electric motor 59 so combined with a rotary compressor 6i that portions of the compressor extend upwardly into the motor and occupy otherwise unused space therein, but while such a motor compressor structure is preferred it is obvious that one having a reciprocating, or other type compressor or one which for other reasons occupied slightly more space would not defeat the objects of this invention.

While it is advisable that the motor 59 be of the type in which a hollow body of insulation contains and seals in the core and winding within its walls, a motor which is otherwise protected against moisture, and against the deleterious action of the refrigerant used, will be considered within the spirit of this invention, and while any of the well known refrigerants may be used one in which a suitable lubricant may be combined in solution may be preferred.

The temperature control element shown comprises a closed case 62 which is attached to the front of the motor 59 and within which a thermostat controlled electric switch to be acted upon directly by the temperature may be enclosed, connections between the control element and the motor being made within the case 62. Any other suitable method of controlling the temperature may l'iwever be employed, neither the structure of the control device nor the medium through which it operates being any part of the present invention. Y

Having now described an embodiment of my invention by which the objects set forth are attained,

I claim,

1. The combination, in a refrigerating system, of a cabinet enclosing a compartment to be refrigerated, a self contained removable unit within said compartment, said unit comprising a framework supporting a motor compressor at the lower end and an evaporator at the upper end, said framework being resiliently secured to the upper and lower ends of said compartment.

2. In a refrigerating system, a self contained refrigerating unit comprising a base, a motor compressor mounted on said base, columns extending upwardly from said base, shelves supported in spaced apart positions on said columns, and an evaporator comprising a series of coils secured to the underside of said shelves.

3. In a refrigerating system, a self-contained refrigerating unit comprising a table like base with spaced apart legs and a top sloping downwardly toward the middle and having a drain hole in the middle at its lowest portion, a drain pan under said top and between said legs, a motor compressor mounted on said top, columns extending vertically from said top, shelves supported in spaced apart positions on said columns, and an evaporator comprising a series of coils secured to the underside of said shelves.

4. The combination, in a refrigerating system, of a cabinet containing a compartment to be refrigerated, a self-contained refrigerating unit within said compartment slightly spaced apart from the top and bottom thereof, resilient material in the space between said unit and the top and bottom walls of said compartmenhand means to force said material against the top and bottom walls of said compartment.

5. The combination, in a refrigerating system, of a cabinet containing a compartment to be refrigerated, a self-contained refrigerating unit within said compartment slightly spaced apart from the top and bottom thereof, non heat conductive material in the space between said unit and the top and bottom walls of said compartment, and means to press said material against the top and bottom walls of said compartment.

6. The combination, in a refrigerating system, of a cabinet enclosing a compartment to be refrigerated, a motor compressor within and at the bottom of said compartment, a relatively long pipe connecting the compressor outlet to the compressor inlet, said pipe passing from said outlet to the top of said cabinet, then by a series of progressively descending coils back to said inlet, a portion of said coils at the top of said cabinet being outside of said compartment and the remainder of said coils being within said compartment and a pressure reducing valve in said pipe separating the coils without the compartment from the coils within the compartment.

7. The combination, in a refrigerating system, of a cabinet enclosing a compartment to be refrigerated, a framework supporting a series of shelves one above the other within said compartment, a motor compressor on the bottom shelf, a relatively long pipe extending from the compressor outlet to the top of the cabinet then returning by a series of progressively descending coils to the compressor inlet, a portion comprising the highest coils being outside said compart ment and the remainder being within said compartment and secured to the bottoms of said shelves except the lower shelf, and a pressure reducing valve between the coils which are outside of the compartment and those within said compartment.

8. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet divided by vertical partitions into a storage compartment, a freezing compartment and a condenser compartment, the condenser compartment being open at the top and bottom, the other two said compartments being completely closed except for lateral openings connecting them together near the top and bottom, and each having a series of shelves, one above the other, a motor compressor within the freezing compartment and a continuous pipe extending from the compressor outlet to the top of the condenser compartment, thence downward through a plurality of coils, thence through the partition to a reducing valve in the freezing compartment, thence through a plurality of coils secured to the underside of the shelves in the freezing compartment and thence back to the inlet of-the compressor.

VINCENT G. APPLE. 

